The Most Viewed ETR Observatories for 2025
Every year, ETR Observatories offer a grounded look into the technologies shaping enterprise strategy. Following a proprietary methodology of data-backed analysis, each Observatory is designed to assess how technology leaders are actually using a vendor’s products and services within a specific subsector. Unlike broader industry reports, these studies capture the operational realities behind adoption trends, budget shifts, and the decisions practitioners face every day.
In 2025, five Observatories stood out based on total readership and engagement. That attention reveals a clear pattern: IT leaders are prioritizing reliability, data scale, AI execution, workforce efficiency, and the identity foundation needed to secure it all.
Below, we count down the five most viewed Observatories of 2025 and why they resonated so strongly with practitioners navigating another year of rapid change.
5. Project and Work Management
Bundle Plays from Atlassian and Microsoft Shine in an Era of AI and Rationalization
In many organizations, the shift to hybrid work exposed how fragmented project and work management tools had become. The 2025 Observatory shows that consolidation is no longer a passive trend but an intentional strategy. Enterprise teams are choosing platforms that unify collaboration, task management, and workflow automation, with Atlassian and Microsoft emerging as clear beneficiaries.
Why it matters
IT leaders are under pressure to rationalize tool sprawl while supporting increasingly complex work. As AI begins to augment planning, execution, and reporting, platforms that integrate data, workflows, and intelligence are becoming the backbone of productivity strategy.
4. Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence (ML/AI)
Breadth of Features and Scale Driving Leading ML/AI Vendors
https://research.etr.ai/blog-observatory/breadth-of-features-and-scale-driving-leading-ml/ai-vendors
No category moved faster in 2025 than machine learning and AI. The Observatory highlights how enterprises are prioritizing platforms that can scale, integrate across their stack, and deliver value beyond experimentation. Leading vendors distinguished themselves not only through model performance but through ecosystems that support governance, data readiness, and real-world deployment.
Why it matters
The pressure to turn AI from pilot to practice is rising across industries. Enterprises need tools that reduce operational friction, ensure responsible use, and connect directly to business outcomes. This is the year organizations begin to separate AI hype from AI impact.
3. Cloud Data Warehouses
Pure Plays and Cloud Providers Dominate the Market
The modern data stack continues to evolve, but one reality remains constant: enterprises need fast, reliable, and scalable access to data. The 2025 Observatory shows a market where specialized vendors and large cloud providers are both thriving, each carving out distinct value through performance, integration, and flexibility. As data volumes surge and AI workloads intensify, platform reliability and interoperability are becoming decisive factors.
Why it matters
Data architecture is now strategic infrastructure. Whether powering analytics, AI, or real-time applications, the right warehouse can accelerate innovation while keeping costs predictable and performance strong.
2. Identity and Access Management Security
IAM Security: A Competitive Field as Demand Persists
https://research.etr.ai/blog-observatory/identity-and-access-management-security
With expanding cloud environments, distributed teams, and rising threat activity, identity has become the control plane of enterprise security. The 2025 Observatory captures how organizations are investing in platforms that unify authentication, authorization, and lifecycle management at scale. Vendors that deliver strong posture visibility, automation, and seamless user experience are gaining ground.
Why it matters
Enterprises cannot afford fragmented identity systems when every access point is a potential vulnerability. As zero trust matures, identity-driven security is no longer aspirational; it is foundational.
1. Observability Tools
A Crowded Observability Market with Several Standout Vendors
https://research.etr.ai/blog-observatory/observability-tools
This year marked the first time ETR formally examined Observability as a standalone Observatory topic. The timing could not have been more fitting. As systems become more distributed and dependencies multiply, observability has shifted from an operations function to a strategic capability. The 2025 findings show a market focused on unifying logs, metrics, and traces, improving root-cause analysis, and enabling teams to act before users ever feel an issue.
Why it matters
Reliability is becoming a competitive advantage. With digital services underpinning revenue, brand reputation, and customer experience, enterprises need end-to-end visibility into their systems. Observability is no longer about troubleshooting. It is about building resilient architectures that support the speed and complexity of modern innovation.
Explore the Full Summaries
These five Observatories capture the trends shaping enterprise technology in a pivotal year. For technology leaders navigating modernization, scaling AI, and securing rapidly evolving environments, the insights provide a grounded view of what is rising, what is shifting, and where the market is headed next.
Explore each summary to dive deeper into the data and analysis behind the 2025 Observatory program. You can also browse the full catalog of ETR Observatories here: https://research.etr.ai/blog-observatory